In a kitchen rooted in plants and seasonality, indulgence becomes more meaningful when it's occasional and intentional. Mud cake is unapologetically rich, dense, and deeply chocolatey, made with melted chocolate and butter, with a texture that sits between cake and brownie. This is not a light, everyday sponge, but a fudgy classic, paired with a glossy ganache. If you love intense chocolate flavour and pure indulgence, then this one is for you!
If you're looking for a lighter, plant-forward chocolate bake, you might also enjoy my carob and slow berry brownies- made with foraged ingredients, naturally rich, gently sweet, and perfect as an everyday treat
Why You'll Love this Dark Chocolate Mud Cake
- Deep, intense dark chocolate flavour from melted chocolate.
- Dense, fudgy crumb with a luxurious texture.
- Glossy ganache finish that feels patisserie-level.
- Perfect as a celebration cake or elegant dinner dessert.
Cake Size & Tin Notes
This recipe makes one 6-inch, single-layer mud cake, ideal for small celebrations and serves 8-10 slices. The cake bakes evenly and holds its shape well, making it perfect for a smooth ganache finish without stacking or filling.
Jump to:
Key Ingredients & Notes
- Eggs & caster sugar & unsalted butter - Eggs bind the ingredients and provide structure, helping the cake set without becoming crumbly. Beating the egg and sugar helps the cake to rise. Caster sugar sweetens and helps retain moisture, keeping the crumb fudgy and not dry. Butter adds richness and helps create the dense texture.
- Flour - Provides structure and holds everything together.
- Double cream - Provides the liquid and fat to emulsify with the melted chocolate, creating the glossy ganache. Helps give the ganache a rich mouthfeel.
- Cocoa powder - Enhances the mud cake's flavour, giving it a deeper colour and balancing its taste and texture.
- Dark chocolate - Dark chocolate - 70% to 80% - is the sweet spot for a rich chocolate flavour without being too bitter. Go for 90% if you dare!
- Cardamom powder - Gives an extra layer of flavour.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Dark Chocolate Mud Cake with Ganache
- Cut the butter into small cubes.
- Break the chocolate into small pieces.
- Sieve the flour and cocoa powder together.
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
- Coat the inside of the tin with butter.
- Line the inside of the tin with parchment paper.
- Beat the eggs and sugar together in a bowl until pale.
- Place a small glass bowl over a pot of hot water.
- Melt the butter in the glass bowl.
- Take the pot off the heat and add the chocolate to the glass bowl.
- The chocolate will melt. Mix the melted butter and melted chocolate together to form a chocolate sauce.
- Add the melted chocolate/butter to the beaten egg/sugar mixture, then combine.
- Next, add the flour/cocoa powder and the ground cardamom.
- Fold the cake mix until no dry flour is visible. Do not overmix.
- Transfer the mud cake mix to the cake tin.
- Pat the tin against the worktop to evenly distribute the mix.
- Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Do not be tempted to open the oven during baking.
- After 30 minutes, test the cake with a skewer inserted into the centre. With a mud cake, the skewer won't come out completely clean - instead, look for a few moist crumbs or a light chocolate smear (see photo). If the skewer is coated in wet batter, the cake needs more time.
- Leave the cake in the tin to cool down for 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool further.
Ganache
- Chop up the dark chocolate and transfer it to a bowl.
- Heat the double cream in a bowl until it is hot and steamy, but don't let it boil.
- Pour the cream over the chocolate pieces and stir until smooth. The chocolate will melt. Mix to combine, using a spatula, not a whisk.
- Mix until you have a glossy sauce.
- Leave to cool for about 10 minutes. This will make it easier to glaze the mud cake.
- Using a spatula, spread the ganache evenly over the mud cake.
- Decorate with a garnish of your choice. I have used candied orange.
Substitutions
I have used 70% dark chocolate; you can use any other percentage, but not less than 54%.
The ganache is optional; you don't have to finish the cake with it. Instead, you can serve the cake warm, with vanilla ice cream or blood orange granita.
Variations
I have used cardamom powder; you can leave it out for a simple chocolate flavour.
I have used candied blood orange to add an extra layer of flavour. You can use buttercream or even fresh cream frosting with raspberries or strawberries.
Equipment
- An electric whisk to beat the butter and eggs.
- Either a 6- or 8-inch tin to bake the cake.
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or refrigerate for upto 5 days. Keeping the cake in the fridge will make it denser; bring it to room temperature before serving. If you have not used ganache frosting, you can reheat it in a microwave or even an oven for a very short time.
To freeze, wrap the unglazed cake tightly in cling film and freeze for up to 3 months. Make the ganache fresh.
Chefs Tips
- Please use a digital scale for measuring ingredients. In baking, each gram counts.
- Use a spatula or Morris to fold the cake; using a whisk will remove the air from the cake, and it will not rise. Gently fold to mix the dry and wet ingredients. Overmixing breaks the air pockets formed when mixing the sugar and eggs, preventing the cake from rising. Once done, immediately transfer to a tin and bake. Any delay will result in the cake not rising well.
- For the ganache, it's important to chop the chocolate; if you have large pieces, they will not melt properly in the cream. Do not overmix the ganache, and do not reheat it. Reheating will cause the cream to split, leaving your ganache uneven. Allow it to rest at room temperature until it thickens before frosting.
- Only put the ganache on the cake after it has fully cooled, so it sets easily.
FAQ
Ganache is a smooth, glossy, creamy mixture of chocolate and warm cream. It is made by heating cream and pouring it over chopped chocolate, and stirring until glossy. Ganache can be used as a cake filling, frosting or glaze.
The density of the mud cake crumb is intentional. It is pure indulgence. It is meant to be rich and fudgy rather than light and airy. Mud cake used a lot of fat and relatively less flour to liquid (eggs and melted chocolate), and no raising agent. It uses melted ingredients, not whipped, so air is not introduced into the mix.
The main difference is texture and structure. Chocolate cake is light and airy, made by creaming butter and sugar or whipping eggs to incorporate air. It uses more flour and raising agents, resulting in a soft, fluffy crumb. Mud cake, on the other hand, is dense, rich, and fudgy, making it a compact cake similar to a brownie.
For our mud cake, we are aiming for deep flavour, smooth texture and meltability. The best types of chocolate are high-quality dark chocolate with 70-80% cocoa solids - rich in flavour but not overly bitter. Avoid low-quality chocolate chips, milk chocolate, or compound chocolate made with vegetable fats rather than cocoa butter.
I have used candied orange for a vibrant contrast; however, here are some other ideas:
For a minimalist finish: A dusting of icing sugar.
For contrast: Fresh raspberries or cherries.
For texture: Toasted nuts of cacao nibs.
For indulgence: Extra ganache or chocolate curls.
Of course, you can enjoy it without garnish.
📖 Recipe
Dark Chocolate Mud Cake with Ganache (6 -inch Single Layer)
Equipment
- Digital scales
- Hand whisk or Electric whisk
Ingredients
Cake Mix
- 3 Eggs
- 200 g Caster sugar
- 60 g Butter unsalted block butter
- 125 g Flour
- 38 g Cocoa powder
- 63 g Dark chocolate 70 -80% cocoa solids
- 2 teaspoon Cardamom powder
Ganache
- 150 g Dark chocolate 70 - 80% cocoa solid
- 150 ml Double cream
- Candied blood orange
Instructions
Cake
- Coat the inside of the 6-inch cake tin with butter, then line it with parchment paper.
- Cut the butter into small cubes. Roughly chop the chocolate.
- Sieve the flour and cocoa powder.
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC (fan assisted)
- In a bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until pale.
- Heat water in a small pot and place a small glass or metal bowl over it. Melt the butter in the bowl. Once the butter is melted, add the chocolate. Remove the pot with the bowl from the heat and mix the melted chocolate and butter together.
- Add the chocolate/butter mix to the egg/sugar mix. Combine together.
- Add the flour/cocoa mix and the cardamom powder. Fold gently to combine until no dry flour is visible. Do not overmix.
- Transfer into the lined cake tin. Pat the tin on a work surface to evenly distribute the cake mix. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, check the cake with a skewer. Note - it will not come out 100% clean. You will have a little smear of chocolate. It will just be a bit of runny chocolate, not cake batter.
- Leave the cake to cool down in the tin for 10 minutes. Then transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool.
Ganache
- Chop the dark chocolate into small pieces and transfer it to a bowl.
- Heat the cream in a pot until hot and steaming. Don't let it boil.
- Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and mix to combine, until it becomes a smooth and glossy chocolate sauce (use a spatula, not a whisk)
- Leave it to rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes or so; this will thicken the ganache and make it easier to frost the cake.
- Using a spatula, transfer ganache onto the now-cooled cake and spread evenly.
- Serve with the garnish of your choice, or with candied blood orange skin as I have done.
Nutrition
NOTES
Related Recipes
Love your cakes? Then try these:
Pairing Suggestions
This dark chocolate mud cake pairs really well with my ice cold ice creams and granita:
Food Safety
- Wash your hands regularly while preparing, handling and cooking food.
- Wipe down countertops and high-contact points regularly.
- If you cook meat and fish, do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat. Use separate chopping boards for meat and fish. Wash your chopping boards immediately after use.
- Thoroughly cook food to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods (more than 2 hours).
- Store food correctly.
Leave a Reply